Electric-railway switch.



No. 792,741. PATRNTRD JUNR zo, 1905. T. B. STEWART, W. H. TURNER & R. R. DIXON.

v ELECTRIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. ze, 1904.

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PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. T. B. STEWART, W. H. TURNER L R. E. DIXON.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 26, 1904.

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Nirnn STATES Patented June 20, 1905.

THOMAS BELL STEWART, WILLIAM HERBERT TURNER, AND ROWLAND EDWARD DIXON,v OF LEEDS, ENGLAND.

ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SWITCH- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,741, dated June 20, 1905.

' Application filed November 26, 1904. Serial No. 234,409.

To @ZZ whom it nea/y concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS BELL STEW- ART, WILLIAM HERBERT TURNER, and Row- LAND EDWARD DIXON, subjects of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Leeds, in the county of York, England, have invented a new and useful Electric-Railway Switch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for automatically controlling and operating the points of overhead-cable electric railways and tramways, and is a further improvement on the apparatus shown and described in the speciiications of our prior patents, Nos. 7 47,7 95 and 747,796, dated December 22, 1903, being designed with the object of dispensing with the special form of trolley-head, the street studs or contacts, the skate or hanger, and the attendant switching arrangements on the car, thereby enabling the apparatus to be worked by the motorman of any car from the motorcontrollers without the addition of any appliance whatever or any alteration in the ordinary wiring of the car. In fact, the cars are not in any way interfered with. For this purpose we bridge over the ordinary insulated section-insulator and arrange that the space between the two ends of this bridgingover connection is provided with a distancepiece so arranged that the driver on the car can pass a current through the electromagnetic switching arrangements mentioned in our prior patents hereinbefore referred to or that he can coast clear over the insulated scction, controlling the current through the electromagnetic switch-gear, previously referred to, by means of the ordinary controller on the car, andthereby dispensing with any extra switch-gear on the car. By thus bridging over the insulated section we prevent an interruption of current in the trolley wire (caused by breakage or otherwise) from interfering with the continuity of the circuit over any considerable distance.

The above-described arrangement may, if desired, be employed both for turning and for reversing the points. Preferably, however, the reversing of the points (after the car has passed the junction into the branch line) is effected by means of an overhead hanging switch of suitable construction, so arranged as to engage the trolley-head and permit a current to be automatically passed through the aforesaid electromagnetic switching arrangements independent of any action of the motorman.

Figure l is an elevation, and Fig. 2 a plan, illustrating the general arrangement of our improved apparatus. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing details of electromagnetic switching devices for operating the points. Fig. tis an elevation showing details of overhead sectioninsulator. Fig. 5 is aplan (inverted) of part of Fig. 4, showing arrangement of air-gaps and distance-piece. Fig. 6 is a side elevation, and Fig. 7 an end elevation, showing details of hanging switch for effecting the reversal of the points.

Similar letters and numerals are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

An insulating-bridge a is secured to the line wire or cable A, which is preferably carried over the said bridge. An insulated section b is supported by the bridge a in line with the main portions of the line-wire A, and c represents bolts whichy hold the said insulated section in position.

A switchboard f is provided and is arranged in a suitable box l adjacent to the movable switch-point g of the railroad. A. solenoid e is also arranged in the box (Z, and its core is provided with a slidable rod 2f, which is connected to the point Q of the track-rails.

An overhead frog fr is provided on the branch line-wire A', and this frog is operatively connected with the rod by a wire p, a hand-lever j', and other approved connecting devices; but this frog and its connections are not a novel feature of the present invention.

l The switchboard f has two electromagnets g and /t secured to it, and f: is a switch-lever pivoted by a pin 3 to the switchboard above and between the two said magnets, by means of which it is operated. A contact device o?, a is arranged at one end of the switch-lever, and Z isa counterbalance-weight at the .other end of the switch-lever. The switch-lever has a curved slot 5 over its pivot, and m is a spring connected at one end to the switchboard and having a pin 4 at its other end, which is slidable in the said curved slot. This pin slides automatically when the lever is tilted, and the spring holds it in its two eX- treme positions, so that the contact-pieces n and n are pressed together or held apart in an eiective manner.

A wire u is arranged to connect the electromagnet g with the line-wire A above the bridge a, and o is a fuse in the said wire u. A second wire m is arranged to connect the electromagnet g with the insulated section Z), and w is a fuse in the wire m. A branch wire y connects the wire u with the stationary contact-piece n, and a wire 1/ connects the movable contact-piece u of the said switch-lever with the solenoid e. A wire c' connects the solenoid e with earth E. v

An overhead switch s of approved construction is connected to the branch line-wire A', and when the trolley-head touches this switch it allows the current to pass from the wire A', through a wire l, to the clectromagnet 71,. A fuse 2 is inserted in the wire 1, and 2O is a wire which connects the electromagnct 7b with earth E.

The action of the apparatus is as follows: A motorman approaching the junction and not wishing to turn onto the branch track will on nearing the insulator c switch his motorcontroller off and coast over the insulated section of the insulator a, thereby passing the junction along the main track without intertering with the points in any way. On a branch-linecar approaching the junction the motorman will keep his motor-controller on as he approaches the insulator ct. When the trolley-head t makes contact, therefore, with the insulated section a circuit is completed and a current passes from the overhead cable by way of the wire u, fuse o, magnet g, returnfuse 10, wire m, insulated section trolleyhead 2i', and from thence through the car-circuit to earth. rIhis current energizes the magnet g, and thereby closes the mainswitch n, completing a second or main circuit and causing a current to pass from the overhead cable by way of the wire u, fuse c, connecting-wire y, fuse z, main switch n, solenoid e, and from thence to earth. This current energizes the solenoid e, and thereby pulls over the rail-point q' and frog r to connect with the branch track. When the car has passed over the points into the branch track, the trolley-head t makes `contact with the hanging switch s and completes a third circuit, causing a current to pass from the overhead cable by way of the trolley-head t, hanging switch s, wire l, fuse 2, magnet z, and from thence to earth. This energizes the magnet la, and thereby opens the main switch n, breaking the main circuit through the solenoid c, and thereby releasing the core of the solenoid e, and thus allowing the points q and r to be automatically reversed or returned to their original positions under the action of suitable springs or weights.

What we claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

rIhe combination, with a railroad-point, and a solenoid operatively connected thereto and having an earth connection; of a line-wire A provided with an insulated section an electromagnet g, a pivoted switch-lever 7c operated by the said electromagnet g in one direction and provided with a contact-piece, a stationary contact-piece, a wire u between the electromagnet gand the line-wire A, a branch wire 1/ between the wire u and the said stationary contact-piece, a wire g/ between the switchlever and the said solenoid, a wire :r between the said electromagnet g and the insulated line-wire section b, a second electromagnet /L which operates the said switch-lever 7/ in the opposite direction and which is provided with an earth connection, a branch line-wire A, a switch s in the said line-wire A', and a wire l between the switch s and the said electromagnet 7L.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence ot' two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS BELL STEWART. WILLIAM HERBERT TURNER. ROWIIAND EDWARD DIXON. Vitn esses:

JOHN E. I/VALsH, ALLEN BENNETT. 

